Leather-splitting machine



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N0. 362,412. Patented May 3, 1887..

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W. E. ADAMS.

LEATHER SPLITTING MAGHINE.

No. 362,412. Patented May 3, 1887.

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LEATHER SPLITTING' MAGHINE. No. 362,412. Patented May 3,1887.-

WILLIAM E. ADAMS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TYLERv UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

BRADFORD MACHINE COMPANY, OF KITTERY, MAINE.

LEATHER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,412, dated May 3, 1887.

Application filed June 16, 1886. Serial No. 205,333. (No model.)

- Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts,

opener and the pressing-roll.

have inventedcertain new and useful Improve ments in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming apart hereof, in which Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top View of the knife and its supporting-block and the Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the dotted line, Fig. 2. Fig; 5 is a longitudinal section of the knife and supporting block, showing the opener-roll modified, so as to en- 'able the knife to be set between the halves of the roll. Fig. 6 is an end view from the right of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on dotted line, Fig. 5. Fig. Sis a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the machine with the cover which carries the trimmingknife and its feed-roll removed, and showing the guard-plate in position over the feed-rolls. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of the guardplate and chute, showing the feed-rolls below. Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the chute.

My present invention is an improvement on the leather-splitting machine shown and described in my application, Serial N 0. 198,102, filed April 7, 1886; and my said present invention relates to the mechanism by which the piece of leather which has been split to a hinge at the edge is pressed into a flat sheet after passing the splitting-knife; and it also relates to a guard-plate provided with a'mouth or opening and a slide by which pieces of stock of regular size, which do not require to be first trimmed to a straight edge, may be delivered evenly to the splittingknife.

The invention consists, chiefly, in an idler-' rollmounted in the opener in the mannerhereinafter described, and also in a detachable mouth-plate provided with a chute or slide, as shown and below described.

In my machine above referred to the earrierroll is opposed to the face of the opener, and acts to seize the leather as it passes from the splitting-knife and carry it or feed it along to the presser-rolls below, which smooth and press it into a flat sheet.

By placing a roll in the opener and oppos ing the carrier-roll to this opener-roll instead of to the opener itself, the feeding of the stock downward to the presser-rolls will not only be made more certain, but by providing the opener-roll with a groove, as hereinafter described, and setting the opposing carrier-roll sufficiently near to insure a strong pressure between the nip of the rolls, the leather will be flattened and its hinge pressed out or smoothed down so thoroughly that for many kinds of work the presser-rolls below may be dispensed with, and the cost of the machine, as also the power required to run it, will be thereby lessened.

I will describemy invention as it is embodied in the machine shown in the accompanying drawings, to which I will refer in the description,, using like letters of reference to indicate like parts.

As a detailed description of my improved machine (shown in section at Fig. 1) will be found in the application above referred to, I will confine my description to my present improvements, referring only to the surrounding parts of the machine in so far as such reference is necessary to a clear understanding of my,

said improvements. Ais the knife-supporting block, which is ad-..

justably mounted on the bed of the machine, as described in my said application. On this knife-support the splitting-knifeB is mounted, its cuttingedge projecting upward between the splitting-knife feed-rolls D. A guide, E, is mounted on a support, F, and set at a distance from the end of the splitting-knife equal to the width of the leather hinge which is desired in the split piece. After the leather moves down past the splitting-knife the flaps which are formed pass on to and over the flaring sides of the opener F, which is designed to spread the flaps outwardly toward or into the same plane, thus forming a flat piece having twice the area of the original unsplit piece. In order to retain the flaps or halves of the leather in this fiat position, it is necessary to press them while they are so spread, and the pressure should be greatest at the hinge portion; in fact, for most purposes, if the piece is properly pressed at the hinge portion and the hinge well set and smoothed down while the flaps are spread, no other pressure or smoothing will be required. To accomplish this I provide an idler-roll, a, mounted on a shaft set in the opener, as shown, so as to bring the periphery of the roll flush with or slightly projecting beyond the face ofthe opener, the opener having a vertical slot cut centrally therein to accommodate the roll.

The periphery of the roll may be serrated or corrugated to give it a better grip of the stock, and in the center of the periphery I provide a recess or groove, 1), into which, by the pressure of the opposing carrying-roll d, the hinge portion of the leather is forced and compressed as it passes over the opener and through the rolls a d. The idler-roll a is, I believe, more effective when provided with the groove 1); but itinay be used without a groove and very good results obtained. The carrier-roll (1 may also be serrated or corrugated on its periphery, and is mounted in sliding boxesf, which enable it to be set nearer to or farther from the roll a, and it is connected by gearing with the main shaft, by which it is driven, all as shown and described in my said application above referred to. In order to accommodate the knife to an opener provided with the roll a, I cut the shank of the knife diagonally, or at an angle with the cuttingedge, as shown in Fig. 1, and prepare the block to receive it with a corresponding bevel or diagonal, so that the end of the knife next the opener will lie above the rolla. As the knife is ground down it may be slid up the incline or bevel of its supporting-block, still resting thereon, and its cutting-edge adjusted relatively to the feed-rolls D. To allow of this being done the knife is slotted, as shown at g, and may be securely clamped where it is set by means of the set-screws h. A yokeshaped piece, j, which forms a part of the opener, is secured to the front thereof and arches over the roll a, forming above the roll asupport for the end of the knife, thus insuring its steadiness. (See Figs. 1 and 3.)

A modified form of this construction is shown in Figs. 5, 6,7, and 8, in which asquareshank knife is used. The vertical adjustment of said knife is had by means of set-screws k and slots m, (see Fig. 5,) substantially as shown and described in my said application above referred to. The roll (till this case is divided into two parts and forms two rolls, mounted each on its own shaft, set in opposite sides of the opener, and separated from each other sufficiently to accommodate the knife. (See Figs. 6, 7, and S.) The space between the rolls in this form of the device has the same function as the groove It in receiving the hinge of the split piece as it passes between this openerroll and the roll (I. For the more perfect support of the knife when these double openerrolls are used, I provide, instead of the yoke j, a cross-picce, a, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) secured to the opener across the roll-slot, and insert therein a set'screw, p, which bears on the under side of the knife, as shown, and prevents any tendency of the knife to move downward at this point. The opener and knife-supporting block may be made integral, or each may be a separate piece, as desired.

The top of the machine, where the pieces of leather are fed in, is provided with a hinged cover, fully described in my said application heretofore referred to, and which is desirable in splitting scraps or pieces of stock which require to be trimmed to a straight edge at one side before being split. \Vhen, 110wever, the pieces to be split do not require to be so trimmed, the cover may be removed or dispensed with and a removable mouth-piece, L, Figs. 9 and 10, substituted. This piece may rest on the shafts of the feed-rolls, or partially on them and partially on the stationary frame, as may be found convenient. It is provided with a mouth or opening, 1', directly over the nip of the rolls D, and of sufficient size to admit the pieces of leather which are to be split. The piece L also serves as a guard to protect the operator from the rolls. To receive pieces of regular size and deliver them to the feed-rolls through the mouth 1', I have provided a chute or guide, M, which is secured to the mouth-piece or guard, and is set so as to give it pitch enough to insure the pieces of leather which may be placed in it sliding down through the mouth into the feed-rolls. One side of this chute is made adjustable, and may be set so as to accommodate any size of piece, such as halflifts for heels or half-soles, (which when split will form whole lifts or soles,) by sliding the movable side 8 to the desired place and then clamping it in that place by means of clamping-screws t. (See Figs. 10 and 11.)

I do not claim in this application any of the subj cots-matter which may beincidentallyherein shown, but which are claimed either in my application No. 198,102, hereinbefore referred to, or in my application No. 211,894, filed August 26, 1886, my present invention embracing only the particular improvements specified by the claims hereunto appended.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination, in a leather-splitting machine, of a carryingroll, d, and an opener provided with an opposing roll mounted in a slot or recess in the face thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the splitting-knife, the opener, the roll a, mounted therein and provided with a peripheral groove, and the opposing roll (I, for the purposes and substantially as shown and described.

3. In a leathersplitting machine, the combination of a splitting-knife having a diagonally-shaped shank with a corresponding diagonal] y-shaped supporting-block, whereby, as the knife is ground, it may be moved on its support and readjusted, substantially as set bination, with thefeed-rolls for conveyingthe [O .forth. pieces of material to the splitting-knife, 0f the 4. In a leather-splitting machine, the comguard piece or plate L, provided with the bination, with the feed-r0lls for carrying the mouth 1", and the inclined chute M, having an 5 material to the splitting-knife, of a guard and adjustable side, substantially as set forth.

mouth-plate covering said rolls and provided \VILLIAM E. ADAMS. with an inclined chute, substantially as set l/Vitnesses: forth. WM. A. lVIAOLEOD,

5. In a leather-splitting machine, the com- ROBERT WALLACE. 

